Paris Museum Pass
May 27th, 2006, 08:32 PM
#4
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I got mine last summer at raileurope.com It is the best thing that I have ever done in Paris bypass all the lines at the lovre and orsay. It just saved money in general in paris, I just felt better having it when I showed up in paris. But at versailles you want to go ahead and by the pass they have instead of using the musee pass because you don't get to see any of the good stuff. I bought it at that site so that I would have to use euro or my credit card so I could save the conversion fees.
May 28th, 2006, 03:31 AM
#6
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You can also buy a Louvre ticket that allows you to skip the line at that museum only. A "coupe-fil" ticket. It's not much more costly than the routine Louvre admission - less than 10 euros. These tickets are sold only at a few points in Paris. One of them is the tourist information bureau at the Gare de Lyon.
May 28th, 2006, 03:45 AM
#7
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There is no pass sold online that won't cost more than you will pay in Paris. Also, whether the museum pass is "worth it" now is a bit problematic. About the only museum that the line is daunting is the Orsay. The Louvre has a number of entrances where there are no lines. Some of the lines are due to security, not the entry. You need to see a good many museums to justify the prices now. Buy a one day entry for Orsay at FNAC or tourist offices.
May 28th, 2006, 04:58 AM
#8
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If you should decide to purchase a Museum Pass in Paris, not online...
We were there last week and purchased a Museum Pass at the Army Museum/Napoleon's Tomb. There was absolutely no line and we just walked up to the counter. It was a great place to make the purchase.
We were there last week and purchased a Museum Pass at the Army Museum/Napoleon's Tomb. There was absolutely no line and we just walked up to the counter. It was a great place to make the purchase.
May 28th, 2006, 11:56 AM
#9
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gpreiss, here's the official website for the Paris Museum Pass: http://www.parismuseumpass.fr/flash/hp_fr.html, then click English Version.
It lists prices and all 60 locations that accept the pass. If you're only planning to go to a few musuems, it might not be worth it. But if you plan to go to the top of l'Arc de Triomphe or Notre Dame, for example, it covers the cost for those as well.
As others have said, it's extremely useful for avoiding the queue at Musee d'Orsay - and at Versailles if you choose not to purchase their one-day pass. (BTW, if you're interested in that, opt for the SNCF combination pass that includes the cost of transportation out there. Check out the link on http://www.chateauversailles.fr/en/.)
We purchased our Paris Museum passes at the Louvre. There's an office next to the security screeners at the Carrousel du Louvre entrance; there wasn't any one else in line there the afternoon we purchased it.
It lists prices and all 60 locations that accept the pass. If you're only planning to go to a few musuems, it might not be worth it. But if you plan to go to the top of l'Arc de Triomphe or Notre Dame, for example, it covers the cost for those as well.
As others have said, it's extremely useful for avoiding the queue at Musee d'Orsay - and at Versailles if you choose not to purchase their one-day pass. (BTW, if you're interested in that, opt for the SNCF combination pass that includes the cost of transportation out there. Check out the link on http://www.chateauversailles.fr/en/.)
We purchased our Paris Museum passes at the Louvre. There's an office next to the security screeners at the Carrousel du Louvre entrance; there wasn't any one else in line there the afternoon we purchased it.
May 28th, 2006, 04:39 PM
#10
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ggreen-
At the Louvre, was that a special window for museum passes only? Or was it the regular line to buy tickets?
We're going in June, so I'm worried that might be a more crowded place for purchasing the pass.
Thanks,
dina
At the Louvre, was that a special window for museum passes only? Or was it the regular line to buy tickets?
We're going in June, so I'm worried that might be a more crowded place for purchasing the pass.
Thanks,
dina
May 29th, 2006, 10:07 AM
#11
Dina, if you are concerned about lines at the Louvre, buy the pass at a less crowded museum. I bought mine at the Cluny. I'm assuming since you're buying it that you have multiple museums in mind, so just visit a less crowded one, or an tourist office nearby the Louvre, first. (Addresses of the tourist offices on the official pass site)
Jun 1st, 2006, 06:40 PM
#12
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Thanks to Fodorites, we were completely intending to buy the museum pass in paris.
First museum stop - Musee d'Orsay. Huge line. We went to plan B, went elsewhere that day, and just happened to land back there at the end of the day. We bought our tickets that evening, for the next day - the ticket was good for one day, any time in the next year. Perfect! No line!
Beware, the Louvre is closed on Tuesdays, and Musee d'Orsay closed Mon. I believe. You take your ticket & go in the very short line. There is a coat check there too...& the metro right there.
First museum stop - Musee d'Orsay. Huge line. We went to plan B, went elsewhere that day, and just happened to land back there at the end of the day. We bought our tickets that evening, for the next day - the ticket was good for one day, any time in the next year. Perfect! No line!
Beware, the Louvre is closed on Tuesdays, and Musee d'Orsay closed Mon. I believe. You take your ticket & go in the very short line. There is a coat check there too...& the metro right there.
Jun 2nd, 2006, 03:34 AM
#13
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While the museumm pass does cover entry to the Arc de Triomphe and Notre Dame tower, it does not let you go to the front of the line.
Here is an interesting quote from a thread by MorganB about the Orangerie.
The next day I went to the FNAC and purchased a reservation for 2 pm today. You can buy a reservation for no earlier than the two days later (not including days of closure). Your reservation allows you to enter the museum beginning at the reservation time and within one hour pas that time. I showed up about 2:15 and walked by the zillions of people in line all the way up to the front. When you get to the front there is a seperate area for reservations and museum passes. There was no one in the reservation line and I was promptly let in much to the annoyance of those at the front of the other line. I will have to admit taking a little bit of pleasure in being whisked right in.
The museum is magnificient. The water lilly paintings were a true marvel. The installation is beautiful and the natural light is a big plus. I also noted that they did not allow too many people at once in the museum. So, though it was busy, it was not packed which allows you to enjoy the paintings. I then proceeded downstairs to see the rest of the collection. It's an outstanding collection with many incredible works from picasso, monet, renoir, modigliani etc You can also see a bit of the old fortified wall that caused the delay of the opening.
Here is an interesting quote from a thread by MorganB about the Orangerie.
The next day I went to the FNAC and purchased a reservation for 2 pm today. You can buy a reservation for no earlier than the two days later (not including days of closure). Your reservation allows you to enter the museum beginning at the reservation time and within one hour pas that time. I showed up about 2:15 and walked by the zillions of people in line all the way up to the front. When you get to the front there is a seperate area for reservations and museum passes. There was no one in the reservation line and I was promptly let in much to the annoyance of those at the front of the other line. I will have to admit taking a little bit of pleasure in being whisked right in.
The museum is magnificient. The water lilly paintings were a true marvel. The installation is beautiful and the natural light is a big plus. I also noted that they did not allow too many people at once in the museum. So, though it was busy, it was not packed which allows you to enjoy the paintings. I then proceeded downstairs to see the rest of the collection. It's an outstanding collection with many incredible works from picasso, monet, renoir, modigliani etc You can also see a bit of the old fortified wall that caused the delay of the opening.
Jun 11th, 2006, 12:25 PM
#14
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The problem I've always had with the idea of this pass is that the big museums, you can spend at least half a day in them and you don't have the time to use enough of the pass the rest of the time.
Like with the 2-day pass for 30 euros, if you go to the Louvre one day and the Orsay the other, you may not be mentally or physically set for anything else during those two days.
Louvre and Orsay, even with advanced tickets, don't come up to 30 euros, do they?
It makes sense if you go to the smaller museums and you can go to say 5 or more sites during those two days.
Maybe you could hit Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, Pantheon, St. Sulpice and a couple of other similar sites in a couple of days.
Like with the 2-day pass for 30 euros, if you go to the Louvre one day and the Orsay the other, you may not be mentally or physically set for anything else during those two days.
Louvre and Orsay, even with advanced tickets, don't come up to 30 euros, do they?
It makes sense if you go to the smaller museums and you can go to say 5 or more sites during those two days.
Maybe you could hit Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, Pantheon, St. Sulpice and a couple of other similar sites in a couple of days.
Jun 23rd, 2006, 09:32 PM
#15
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My apologies that I'm only getting back to this thread now and probably too late for Dina. The office at the Louvre where we bought our Museum Passes was not for general tickets at all, nor was it located near the ticket booths in the main area under the Pyramid. I wish I could remember the office name, but unfortunately I didn't write it down. It was an actual office (room) with staff seated behind a low counter. We were surprised that there was no line to get in as we were expecting the Louvre to be a difficult place to buy the pass - maybe everyone's so afraid of the crowds there that the office is empty!
Sep 18th, 2006, 10:26 AM
#18
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The Paris Museum Pass does let you bypass the line at the Louvre. (I don't see where in the thread it says you cannot.)
You still may have to wait in a line though if a particular show is popular and crowded - there was a wait for Ingrès when I was there in May that everyone had to wait in, pass or no pass. This was after the general admission entrance, and due to there being a limit on number of people allowed into the exhibit.
You still may have to wait in a line though if a particular show is popular and crowded - there was a wait for Ingrès when I was there in May that everyone had to wait in, pass or no pass. This was after the general admission entrance, and due to there being a limit on number of people allowed into the exhibit.
Sep 18th, 2006, 10:33 AM
#19
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Would that be the Ingrès ingress [groan]?
Anyway - in my experience, the queues at the Louvre are at the ticket counters, not at the entrances to the wings. Since the ticket purchase process takes longer than that of simply checking tickets, the "load" on the entrances is naturally buffered.
There's some very esoteric queueing theory behind all of this, but I'll spare you. Suffice it to say that if you have a ticket in hand (pass or normal), your wait will be minimal.
Anyway - in my experience, the queues at the Louvre are at the ticket counters, not at the entrances to the wings. Since the ticket purchase process takes longer than that of simply checking tickets, the "load" on the entrances is naturally buffered.
There's some very esoteric queueing theory behind all of this, but I'll spare you. Suffice it to say that if you have a ticket in hand (pass or normal), your wait will be minimal.
